Hofamterspiel, c.1460
Hofamterspiel, c.1460
The Hofämterspiel reflects political relationships in Central Europe in the mid-15th century. The suit signs are the coats of arms of four kingdoms: France, Germany, Bohemia and Hungary. The single-headed eagle represents the 'regnum teutonicum', the kingdom of Germany (as opposed to a double-headed eagle representing the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation). Each individual card depicts a function or profession that enjoyed official status at a late medieval princely court.
In some respects the Hofämterspiel reminds us of the so-called Mantegna Tarocchi, a set of 50 copper engraved cards from Italy, c.1465, which also represents a world order, or hierarchy. However, the Italian set reveals cosmological overtones more akin to Renaissance humanism than to medieval European feudalism. The Hofämterspiel shows a feudal social hierarchy and is a good indication of what the oldest German playing cards may have been like, before they adopted symbols from the royal hunt
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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